Look a farm animal in the eye?

Spent much time at farms or ranches? For most of us, the answer is “no”… which may explain why films like Food Inc. have proven so shocking. Most of us could go a lifetime without actually seeing an animal that will end up on our plate.

British photographer and political activist Neil Young (no, not thatNeil Young) wants to change this… and his upcoming photography exhibit You, like me: intimate portraits of farmed animals is designed to get viewers looking directly into the eyes of farmed animals. According to Young:

Farmyard animals make up a daily part of our consumer lives but are rarely viewed as anything other than a domestic necessity. What is it like for us to look an individual cow, sheep, pig or chicken in the eye? How do we imagine farmed animals experience the world? And how can these animals, especially those living on animal sanctuaries that have experienced great acts of violence themselves, spark memories, empathy and imagination in us all?

Young’s photographs have already sparked an emotional response: former London mayor Ken Livingstone, as well as animal activism groups Viva! and Animal Aid have already praised the exhibit… not bad for a collection that will appear in a cafe setting.

You, like me will be on display at the First Out Cafe-Bar in central London from October 3rd-31st. If you get a chance to check it out, let us know what you think… and whether it made you rethink what’s on your plate.

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Want to see more farmed animals? Check out our review of No Voice Unheard’s Ninety Five